Hexed To The Death
by hervissa
Summary: When Scarlet Witch discovers the secret of King of Wakanda, she takes the justice into her hands...after decision she didn't want to make, she must deal with the consequences, which affect the whole Avengers...fortunately, family is always there! ON HIATUS, BUT NOT ABANDONED! ..hopefully ;)
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Even if I really really wish to, I still don't own Avengers...or any of the characters in this story...the Mighty Stan Lee does! And I'm thankful that he thought them out so I can play with them... :)

**A/N: This is my first fanfic and I'll be glad for any reviews! English isn't my first language, so please don't blame me for any mistakes... This story isn't based on any comic or movie - all just my ideas :) Some characters, like Tony, are movie-like, cause I like it that way...**

**Eeeeenjoy!**

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**-Prologue-**

Rain was falling silently. In this part of the famous and glorious New York City, there wasn't any aura of fame or glory around. Here were old, poor houses; fences with graffiti and shattered pavements. People who lived here weren't very honest or lawful. Their lives taught them that everything you get is just another thing everyone else want to steal from you.

But even here was someone with royal blood. A tall, strong, dark-skinned man in a wet black suit. T'Challa, although he was better known as Black Panther. He lay in a puddle of water where drops of rain hit his face. He didn't move, his open eyes didn't blink, his pulse has stopped. Around him shone strange red spheres. A few metres away, a young woman in red clothes stood there, her fists shining with the same exact color as the spheres.

„I didn't want this...but _they_ didn't deserve the fate you gave them!" She spat on the dead body and waved her hand. Every shining sphere disappeared. She turned around with her dark red cloak billowing behind her. With another wave of her hand, she opened a portal and in moment she was gone.

The whole street was quiet again and the only sound was made by the drops of rain falling onto the leaves of the dark trees and the dead body of the African king.


	2. Holidays are sweet as ice-cream!

**A/N: Okay, so here's first chapter...read, review and enjoy!**

**Holidays are sweet...as ice-cream!**

„Has _anyone_ seen T'Challa?" asked Steve Rogers, standing in the hallway of Avengers mansion. It was summer morning and a lot of Avengers were on theirs vacations - good thing that villains took a break too. In mansion stayed only a few of them like Steve, Clint or Natasha. As it seems to be, their 'proud, brainless African warrior' -as Tony called him- was again somewhere out in the city.

Tony came along and confirmed Steve's thoughts: „He's propably somewhere in nightclub...you know him, when he's around any woman, he became Princ Charming. Don't worry, I'm sure that he will be right back...okay, maybe not so soon," he chuckled. „By the way, it looks like Whirlwind can't accept something like holidays and instead he's robbing another bank. Don't you want to go there, Cap? You still sits here, rarely you go to cinema or museum or something more boring...I'm sure that you need a little fight to be Captain Energy Drink again, huh?"

Steve sighed: „Tony, can't anyone else go there? What about Wanda? Or Pietro?" From the living room Pietro shouted: „Wanda came in five in the morning and then she left again, and I have very important bussines here!" Tony shot a look to living room and replied sarcasticilly: „Yeah, that's why I didn't mention the fact that you could take a care about Whirlie and be back so fast that the game couldn't have time enough to run away!" Pietro loughed and said: „Bloody hell, sometimes you sounds just like my dear sis! Exactly the same sharp tone when you talk to little poor Pietro..." Tony snorted: „Me? Like Wanda? In your dreams, speedy boy! And what did you say about her coming at five in the morning? Was she in a bar or something? Drunken Scarlet Witch is the last thing we need here!" „I don't know, she seems quite in tense these days...if she need to drink, I let her." He was quiet for a moment and then he called again: „If you still need someone for a mission, ask Thor, I think that I hear some traditional northern song from the elevator!" Said elevator opened and Asgardian came in.

„Did someone call me?" he asked. Tony catch the opportunity and quickly maneuvred him to the door. „Thor, buddy! Whirlwind has another robbery-in-the-bank day, can you go there" he push the surface of Thor's Avengers Card and upload Whirlwind's position in „and take him for a vacation to the Vault?" „As you wish, man of iron!" smiled Thor and went out.

Steve sighed and said: „I'll get another hour in training room and then I'll make a little order in all the paperwork in your office, okay?" „Yeah, yeah, if you find it funny, go ahead!" nodded Tony. Steve disappeared in the elevator and after a while Tony went to the kitchen for something to eat. He just reached for a pack of crisps, when a strong wind pushed him back. When he looked back on the shelf, crisps were gone.

„Pietro!" he shouted loudly. „What the hell you think you're doing? If you didn't realized that, I practically own this house! So get your ass back here-"

„Did you say something, my great leader?" Quicksilver suddenly ran back into the kitchen with empty bag and threw it into a trash can. Tony shot him angry look: „I, Anthony Stark, officially change your nickname to Stinky Speedy Rat!" „As you wish, man of empty bags!" bowed Pietro and laughed. Tony hit him to shoulder, but he laughed too. „You know, Speedy, your jokes aren't so funny, but I still laugh at them! Why? Is it some kind of trick?" asked Tony after a while. „Oh yeah, daddy told me how to do it - you just need everyone else to fear you and then they'll do everything to please you!" Tony frowned and Pietro smirked : „Ah, don't give a shit to what am I talking about...I've got Tekken in the living room, come and join me, if you have balls for it!" Tony grabbed a chocolate stick from the fridge and went with the mutant to the game.

When Pietro was defeated for forty-three times, he discovered that Tony put connect some of his crazy technomaniac thing into it, so his characters always won. He just tried to think out how could he best make his revenge, all the time hitting Tony with a pillow from the sofa, when he heard the front door opened and closed. It couldn't be Thor, Steve was in the gym, so...was it Wanda? He stopped beating the billionare for a moment and Tony use it to ran away to the kitchen. Almost immediately Pietro heard a loud curse and something breaking. In a moment, he was in the kitchen too, trying to realize what happened. Wanda stood at the fridge, a spoon in her hand, and on the floor lied open box of chocolate ice-cream, which was spreaded all over the floor, even on Tony's shoes.

„Wanda? Is everything all right?" asked Pietro carefully. She nodded and he realized that she was pale and looked sleepy and very tired. „I just got scared by Tony, nothing else. I' ll clean the ice-cream, let it be," she added when she saw that her brother was looking for some cloth to tidy up the mess on the floor.

„Women usually eat ice-cream when they are pregnant, in bad mood or have depressions," said Tony, leaning against the counter, „which of it fits you?" Look which Wanda throw on him could kill. „You're supposed to be a genius, so answer yourself!" Pietro sensed the tension in the air and decided to act. „Tony, come, we'll let Wanda to do it alone, okay? Sis, no need to get upset, we're leaving," he said to his sister while leading the billionare from the kitchen.

Behind them, red spheres started to dance around Wanda's hand until she realized what was she doing and let them disappear. She reached down for the box of ice-cream and looked on the picture of three kittens - one white, one grey and one black - on it. She _hated _ black kittens - at least the big African ones. Wanda felt her rage rising and she wished to be somewhere else, where she wouldn't care about what she did and how to tell it to the others...why the hell did the black douchbag start the fight?

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**A/N: Second chapter is on the way, I promise! Things will get little more...action, but it just grew that way, without my help :P**


	3. Deadly Surprise

**A/N: Here, finally, comes the second chapter... thanks to everyone who read this story and special THANKS to ****Beautiful Storm Munroe**** and ****Electra de Lioncourt**** for wonderful reviews :)**

**I hope that you will like it...it's short, I know, but I promise that next chapter will be longer ;)**

**Enjoy!**

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**Deadly Surprise**

When was Tony sure that Wanda made her way to her room, he quickly went to the kitchen again and searched for another pack of crisps.

„Tony! TONY! Come here, quickly!" suddenly Pietro shouted. Billionare rolled his eyes, but went back to the living room. Quicksilver sat at the TV with opened mouth in shock. On the screen blonde reporter just said: „...and eyewitnesses confirmed that last night they saw Black Panther in a bar about two blocks from here. It seems that he had some kind of...argument with another member of the Avengers, Scarlet Witch. After that, they both disappeared trough the" she looked into her textbook „hex portal, but before that Black Panther took out some of his _sharp toys_, how the barman defined it, probably-" textbook again „vibranium daggers. Right now, the police is waiting for their specialist in situations caused by magic, doctor Stephen Strange."

„What the hell-" began Tony, but Pietro silenced him: „Shhs! Looks down on the screen, you _genius_!" Tony did what he was told to and realized that the text was saying: **DEAD AVENGER IN NYC! IS IT WORK OF SOME VILLAIN OR IS THERE A CONFLICT INSIDE OF FAMOUS TEAM?**

Tony wasn't stupid. After all, people (and _People _too) didn't called him a genius just for fun. „Hey...did something happen to Black Panther?" Pietro shrugged: „I don't know, but whatever it is, it looks like Wanda has something to do with it."

Meanwhile behind the reporter air started to shine. Finally, it formed into a tall man in red cloak. When police officer saw him, he immidately went to him and began to speak quickly while pointing on something what wasn't visible at the screen. The tall man, obviously Dr. Strange, nodded and closed his eyes. His necklace - an odd, big eye - began to shine and then Doctor came off the screen. Camera followed him almost immidiately.

In big puddle of water, with police DO-NOT-CROSS lines around it, lay a body in black suit. Both Avengers knew that suit - they saw it practically every day. His mask was taken and lay next to the body, but it only made Black Panther's face easier to recognize.

„T-T'Challa is DEAD?!" cried Tony. He looked on Pietro, whose face was almost as white as his hair. „But how- I mean, he was a great fighter- who could be able to-" he managed to speak, but he still couldn't believe it.

Death of one of his teammates was something he know that was possible, but every time the Avengers were on dangerous mission and they balanced on the edge of the death, they always won and later they laughed about it. Now, T'Challa was dead and the world seemed to turn upside down. Tony knew him, like you know your neighbor, he knew that T'Challa ruled the kingdom of Wakanda and that he didn't like talking about it, that his favourite American food was hamburger...this kind of things, little, but important details...

He managed himself to turn back on the screen, where Dr. Strange kneeled at the dead body with his arms waving in circles. He murmed some strange words, it more sounded like a song, but it brought a freezing feeling down to Tony's spine. As it continued, around the corpse started appearing images. They looked like holograms, but Tony was sure that they were magical. Although he was genius about machines and things like that, magic was something he didn't fuss into.

The images looked like drops of rain, but then they disappeared and instead them something red began to circle around the dead body.

Pietro gasped. After a while, Tony gasped too, grabbed the remote and paused the scene.

On the screen, there were hex spheres, shining bloody red, which both Avengers knew very well.

Wanda's spheres.

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**A/N: Yeeeah! Cliffhanger! Umm...I know, nothing new for you in there... :D**

**Remember: more reviews=earlier post of chapter 3! :)**

**Sincerely,**

**hervissa **


	4. Investigation

**I'm really sorry that I didn't update sooner, but I had a huge writer's block...anyway, here's another chapter! And it's almost as long as the rest of the story altogether! :)**

**Cooookies to everyone who'll review! (It works at other stories, so why not at mine?) And thanks to all of you who read it ;)**

**Enjoy it!**

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**Investigation**

Tony and Pietro looked at each other, both thinking quickly. Billionaire was still shaken with the realization about Black Panther's death, and now it seemed that Wanda was somehow involved in it. His „leader" part of brain began to work. Finally, he sighed and said to Pietro, who was still sitting on the couch, staring on the screen. „You go to Wanda, try to investigate - politely! - and I will take Steve to...there," he looked back on screen and added: „I just hope that it's all just some kind of misunderstanding."

Pietro humorless smiled: „Yeah, someone accidentally killed one of The Avengers and forgot couple of hex spheres flying around there, right? Look, go and I... I'll do my best."

Tony nodded and with last worried look on the TV went to the hall. He took his Avenger Card and send message to Steve: _Come, we've got a mission._ After a while the elevator opened and Cap get our with towel around his shoulders. „What's up?" He asked, but when he saw the look on billionaire's face, he frowned: „Hey. What happened?" Tony ruffled his hair and thought how to start.

„We need to go. There was a murder." „Murder? Who is dead? Someone important?" Asked Steve. Tony decided to spit it out. After all, Steve was a soldier. „Yeah, you could say that. Look, how good did you know T'Challa?" Steve frowned once again. „How good did I - " he paled. „You mean...that _he_ is dead? Black Panther?" Tony nodded. „Police will want some informations. Will you come with me?" He wondered that he sounded so...normal, as if it was just a bussines trip. The shock will probably come later, he supposed. _Right now, I need to have clear mind,_ he thought.

Steve closed his eyes and sighed deeply. „Yes, just give me a minute to change my clothes," he said quietly. With that, he turned around and climbed the stairs. Then he went to his room. When he passed Wanda's door, he stopped and thought if he didn't have to tell her something. _She probably know it, or don't want to be disturbed, or maybe she isn't here at all. Stop trying to find some free time with her,_ he said to himself and with another sigh continued trough the hallway.

**oOoOo**

Tony changed to better clothes and headed to the garage. In a long line there were most of his cars. After a while, he picked a black Lamborghini. He sat comfortable in the seat and started the engine. Then he shoved the roof down and checked his sunglasses. Even that he went to the dead teammate, he needed to keep his image. Satisfied, he slowly went to the tunnel, leading to the surface and then stopped, waiting for Steve.

When Captain finally sat in the car, Tony accelerated it and they shot out from the garage.

All the time they drove, they both thought about Black Panther. Steve about dead of another his teammate, his friend, altough that Panther didn't consider himself as anyone's friend, and Tony about Wanda and her role in this all. He hoped that Pietro will get something from her. But, after all, Pietro was probably the only one who could. Even that Scarlet Witch had a few good friends, like Tony or Pepper, only her brother truly know everything about her.

Tony sighed and concentrated on driving. Traffic accident was the last thing they needed right now.

**oOoOo**

Pietro waited until he heard that Tony and Steve left. He didn´t know what Tony said to Cap, but he hoped that not much. The last thing they needed was Cap running all around asking questions to wrong people.

He got up and abnormally slowly went upstairs to Wanda's room.

When he finally stood at the dark brown door, he knocked lightly.

„Wan? It's me, Pietro."

Silence.

„Umm...I just want to talk. There was something in TV I think that you should know about."

He heard her footsteps as she approached the door and unlocked them. „What?" she asked, frowning. „May I come in?" „If you want..." Pietro closed the door behind him and thought how to begin. Wanda sat to her desk and from the shelf took a cup full of paintbrushes. „So? What did you see so important that I must know about it?" she turned on him, one eyebrow lifted exactly like her father's.

„Where were you last night?" Pietro saw how she froze. Anyone else would probably not see it, but he knew her too well. „I-Why do you want to know it?" Pietro sighed. „Because I think that you had a row, or rather a fight, with T'Challa in a bar."

Wanda stood calmly, but her powers betrayed her. Around little objects in the room appeared the hex spheres. „And if I had? So what?" She asked, her brown eyes staring on him. Pietro ruffled his hair in a way not unfamiliar to Tony. Then he spat it out. „Well, he is dead."  
She didn't look much surprised, she seemed just...tired. „Yeah, I know that," she said silently. Pietro continued: „It was in TV. And...the police had Strange to help."

„The Almighty Sorceeerer Supreme?" she asked with a hint of curiosity in her voice. „Yop, that one. Last people who saw Panther were in one bar a few blocks from the place he was found. And they said that you were there with him, that you two had some kind of a row and he pulled out one of his daggers. Then you opened a portal and you both disappeared." He sighed. „And you surely know what that means." Suddenly he felt riddiculous, discussing a murder with his own sister, who he thought did it.

„What do you want to hear from me, Pietro? _Yes, I'm coldblooded murderer_? Or what?" spat Wanda. Pietro ruffled his hair again. „Just tell me if you...killed him, please. I'm your brother, for God's sake. If you can't trust me, who then?" He had one or two people in his mind, but neither one of them was here, so he didn't mind them. Wanda stared at him and he could almost see her brain working. Finally, she looked straight into his eyes and said quietly, but fiercely: „Look, I just wanted to talk with him. He pulled out the dagger. I still tried, but he didn't want to know it, didn't want to listen! I took us out, for I didn't want any civilian hurted, and he attacked me. I...decided. You could say that I choose one of the two evils. Yes, I killed him, but I can bear it. And I don't regret it."

Pietro stared. When he came here, he expected - what did he expect? Absolutely not what Wanda just said. Wanda continued: „I suppose that the others will want to talk with me too. And I can't expect them to be like you. So I must ask you: are you with me? I'm not some killer maniac, I just did what was necessary." She looked from the window. „But I can understand if you will.. choose them." Pietro grabbed her shoulders and she turned back to him.

„You're my sister. Of course I'm with you. That's what family is for." Wanda hugged him tightly and whispered: „Thanks." Pietro continued: „But I need to know why. What did he do and all that stuff."  
She sighed. „Okay. Just..let me sit." When he did so, she sat back on her chair and began to play with her hair. „You surely know that Panth- that he ruled in Wakanda, in Africa." Pietro nodded. „Well, he wasn't as amazing king as he said he was. His laws were quite...tyranic, if I can say. But well, it was his land, his laws. But what I discovered was too much. He was like crazy when it came to secrets of Wakanda and anyone who somehow reached out to the world was killed. Usually by Panther himself."

„What?" Pietro didn't know what to think. „I would let it go, because I didn't much want to mess up with him, but then I saw him doing it. He threated some poor man who just wanted a little more food for his family and since hunters had to have a contract with the Panther, that man contacted the outside world. I don't know the details, but I suppose that it doesn't matter much. Well, Panther threated that man that he'll kill his two daughters, who were four and six years old, if he'll not stop. Then he decided that he'll kill one of the daughters as a warning, and their mother tried to defend them."

„He killed them all."

**oOoOo**

When Tony and Steve stopped at a corner of two crossing streets and got out from the car, the police inspector came forward to them. Tony took off his sunglasses and shook his hand. „Mr. Stark, even that you surely know me." „Inspector McLane. I'm glad that you came, we need every clue we can get. Come here, we made an unofficial headquarters in the basement of one of the houses. No one lives there." He led them to the said place, where people worked on notebooks, shouted to cell phones or carried some papers. In one corner sat on the ground Dr. Strange, full in meditation. The inspector pointed at him and said: „After he summoned those things, something knocked him out. He said that he need rest, drow some kind of pentagram on the ground and sat there." Tony realized that he maybe missed something because he stopped the screen. Apparently Strange didn't hold the spheres on too long, so maybe no-one was suspicious about Wanda.

McLane sat on a chair behind improvised table and opened a folder. „Well, do you have any clue? Did your team upset someone in last time? Or do you know about some personal problems he could have?" Steve frowned and said: „I don't know if any of the villains we fight against would go after T'Challa. He is - was really good. And I'm sorry, but he was quite secretive when it came about him, so I don't know if he had any personal issues to solve." Tony looked on Cap. He looked quite...lost. Tony made a mental note to himself that on the way back he needed to talk with him.

The inspector rubbed his forehead. „Mr. Stark, do you know anything? Some details that could help?" Tony shrugged: „Sorry, but it's the same as at Steve. T'Challa didn't talk too much about himself, his past or his problems. But I can assure you that we will start our own investigation and if we'll have anything, you will be the first one to know it. Deal?" McLane smiled a little. „Deal. That leads us to another thing: relatives. We know only about an ex-wife, Ororo Munroe, because one of the guys in my department has a mutant brother and you know - mutants know each other, or how do they say that. Nevermind. The problem is, we know only a few things about Black Panther, and I suppose that you could know more, after all, you worked with him."

Tony and Steve looked at each other. Then the billionaire said: „As Cap said, he never talked too much about himself, so we're as blind as you. However, I'll look what JARVIS can find. By the way, does Ororo Munroe still live at Xavier's?" McLane pulled out one paper and nodded. Steve asked: „Can we help somehow else?" The inspector chuckled: „Yes, you can. Find the murderer. It's easy. No, seriously, just try to look on his past and cooperate with us. We will do our work, you do yours." Tony twirled with the sunglasses in his hand. „Can we look on the body?" said Steve suddenly. McLane shrugged. „If you want...I don't expect that you'll find something we didn't, but come with me."

He led them to the corpse. Three men were already preparing the black sack for it, but the body still lay on the ground. Altough that Tony never liked dead bodies, years in Avengers taught him a lot, so he kneeled beside the corpse and examined it. He didn't know what was he looking for, but he needed to do that. „Why exactly did he die?" Asked in meantime Steve. McLane sighed. „It looks like his heart exploded or something. We'll be sure after autopsy." Tony whistled. „Oh my..."

The men with the black sack began to move the body and Tony stood up. Steve took a paper and a pencil from his pocket and began to write something. After a while, he put it all back. „Notes," he shrugged on Tony's interested look.

McLane cleared his throat. „So, if you'll find something, you'll tell us, and if we'll get any new inforamtion, you'll be the first to know. Okay?" Both men nodded and shook his hand. Then they went back to the car.

„Steve, I'll drive you back and then I'll go to Xavier's," began Tony talk when they drove away. „You prepare the things for our searching and for...funeral," he said. Steve wanted to complain, but Tony shook his head: „Take it as an order, soldier."

And with that, they drove trough New York to their mansion.

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**In next chapter, we'll see Ororo's confrontation with her ex-husband's death! Thanks to ****Beuatiful Storm Munroe**** for idea of putting Storm into this story...and trust me, there will be much more!**

**hervissa**

**P.S.: If you already read this, waste another 30 seconds and write me a review...it's a wonderful feeling to read them :) Thanks!**


	5. School for gifted

**Hooooraay! Finally, another chapter! I'm really really sorry for not updating, but I had a lot of work in school, and I had to write other stories...we are making a book in our class, a collection of our works, and I have it all on my shoulders :/ Thankfully, we should end it this week, so I'll have more time for writing my beloved Hexed :)**

**Maybe you wonder why didn't the police do something about Wanda, when it was clearly visible that there are her spheres (even in the police must be at least one fan of the Avengers!). I realized it when writing this chapter, but don't worry, I made a part of the plot from it ;)**

**As always, read, review and enjoy!**

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When Tony and Steve arrived back to mansion, the billonaire stopped in the garage, but didn't open the door. Instead, he turned on Steve and asked: „Are you okay? You seemed quite...lost back there." Steve shrugged: „I dunno. It just reminded me of the war, when people died everyday and we couldn't do anything to stop it, only work harder. And then Bucky died..." His voice trailed off. Tony patted him on shoulder and said: „Look, any of this isn't your fault, nor it was back there. So stop blaming yourself -" he lifted a finger when Steve opened his mouth to say something „-I know that deepdown you're doing that. Right now, go search some data and I'll pay good old Charlie a visit. Okay?" Steve nodded and stepped out of the car. Tony sighed, ruffled his hair and accelerated the car. It shot from the garage like a bullet from a gun.

oOoOo

Pietro just stared. Black Panther, the fellow Avenger and protector of innocents, killed people? Good, innocent people who just didn't want to live in a cruel kingdom? And he killed _children_?!

Wanda took a deep breath and continued: „You know these sharp things he had? Well, he used them on that family. Then he left and I didn't know what to do. It was too quick, too unbelieveable. Eventually I ran to them, and I tried to save them, but...that bastard used vibranium and it was hard to change anything. That little girl looked on me before she died. I still see it." Tears ran down on her face. Pietro needn't any words, he just hugged her tight and whispered: „It's okay, just cry." He knew from experience that even if Wanda looked like strong and unbeatable person, it was just a shell. She could hide her emotions very well, she had to. Pietro still remembered the times when they were young and she woke up from a nightmare and he had to comfort her. Well, good thing that he didn't forget his hugging skills.

After a while, she stopped sobbing and pulled out of his embrace. She wiped her eyes and sighed. „I guess that you probably matched everything else together. I went to the bar, tried to talk with him, altough now I don't know why did I bother myself. Then, it all went wrong. And he attacked me, I defended myself and then I just decided that I had enough. That the families had enough. Even if he went in jail, he would get out and that whole thing would continue. I made a decision...I killed him."

Pietro felt a wave of relief, altough he didn't know why. In the same moment, he began to think what will they do. Police wasn't stupid, it was clear as day that Wanda is the most likely murderer. She was with him in a bar, then they disappeared, Panther pulled out a knife. Next day, he was dead and there were the spheres. Only someone really stupid wouldn't suspect Wanda. _Damn it, what am I supposed to do? Let the police capture my own sister, when I perfectly understand her reasons? _ Pietro thougt. Firstly, they needed to settle things with the Avengers. Then they will all think something out. Probably.

He interrupted his thoughts and looked on Wanda. She stared on her hands in her lap and instead of her usually strong and calm pose she was crouched on the chair. „It's gonna be okay, trust me," Pietro put a hand on her shoulder, „Just calm down."

oOoOo

Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters

Black Lamborghini drove trough the big gate and stopped on the sand road at the mansion. Tony stepped out and walked to the door. When, he took off his sunglasses, he pushed the bell and waited. After a while, there were footsteps and a young girl with brown hair looked on him. Her head was...trough the door. Tony was quite informed about the whole „superhero" bussines, so he realized that this is Kitty Pryde. Still, it was odd to see the _phasing_ in real.

„How can I he- you're Tony Stark, aren't you?" She looked excited, altough a little unsure about something. Tony bowed a little: „Yes, that's truly me. Uhm...may I come in? I would like to talk with Professor X." She nodded and in serious voice said: „He said that someone from the Avengers will come...it is about the Panther, isn't it?" After a slight nod from Tony, she ducked back behind the door and opened them. „Come in," she told to the billionaire, „I'll lead you to Professor's office. Do you know him personally?" Kitty asked curiously. „I've met him a few times, on press conferences. He has a calming effect on people, even on me," chuckled Tony a little. Despite the situation, it was good to talk with a fan - and he would bet that Kitty _was_ a fan.

They went upstairs and walked past a big living room with a plasma TV. It was currently off, but the room was full of children of all ages, who were talking and dicussing something. Most probably the death of the Avenger. A tall, bulky young man, who was clearly the oldest in the room, spotted Kitty and Tony and went to them. „Piotr Rasputin. Member of the X-Men," he said, shaking hands with Tony. „If you need anything, just tell me." Tony said: „Okay, I need two bags of diamonds in my place by tomorrow morning. Think you can arrange that?" He started to act like his normal self again; the joking and smiling and playboing was probably calming the brain. _Oh, shut up, thanks,_ he said to his inner scientist.

Piotr smiled and nodded to Kitty. „I hope that it will all be solved soon. I would go with you to the Professor, but I need to watch this bunch of living dynamites - hey, Kitty, don't look on me like that. You know how they really are, don't you?" Tony politely coughed: „I really don't like breaking your love moment, but I need to speak with Charles." „Oh, of course. See ya, Pete!" Said Kitty, blushing a little. They continued in awkward silence. Finally, they stopped at big oak door. „Why don't you get more elevators or stuff like that, people? This mansion is too huge for my legs..." complained Tony. Kitty just shrugged: „We take it as part of the training. It fantastically helps to get better stamina, trust me."

If you wanted, you could take your suit and fly trough the hallways. It would be funny watching you trying not to crush into anything. Ororo could tell you plenty of stories.

Tony shook his head. „Ugh. I hate when you do that, Prof," he grumbled and opened the door. In the door frame, he turned and gave Kitty one of his typical smirks: „Thanks for your escort, Miss Pryde." And with that, he stepped into the office and closed the door.

Professor Charles Francis Xavier sat in his wheelchair behind a big table, his clasped hands on it. „Please, Anthony, sit down," he pointed on the chair in front of the table. „Professor, call me Tony, everyone does that," smiled Tony. Xavier smiled a little too, but then his expression becames serious once again.

„Now, we both know why are you here. You want to talk to Ororo and try to do something about Wanda, am I correct?" „Yeah. I honestly don't know why didn't the police went after Wanda right away, but it will not last long. Maybe they are going to arrest her right now," frowned Tony. „I can assure you that if I let them, they _would_ go for Wanda. I used Cerebro to...distract them, you could say. I just took their attention off her. That could give us some time to solve all this." Tony sat there with his mouth open. „Wow. Thanks. Uhm...I know that you probably have some hidden, secret back-up plan for which it was necessary, but why did you do that?"

Xavier sighed: „Do you know whose daughter Wanda is?" Tony nodded: „Good old Magneto." „Exactly. He is still my friend and I just don't want to see one of his children in jail or somewhere like that. Besides, I taught Wanda for a few years. I know her. Whyever did she do that, she had a good reason." Tony nodded again and then asked: „Where is Ororo? I hope that it didn't crush her much..."

„The X-Men went on a mission yesterday, so she doesn't know yet. They should come back today," Xavier looked on his watch, „in about a hour, if everything will be all right." „But what if she'll see it in the news on Blackbird?" Asked confused Tony. Professor smirked: „There isn't a TV in the Blackbird. And even if there was one, after the mission they try to relax, they take care of their injuries and the news are probably the last thing that would bother them." „No TV? We have two in the Quinjet! I sometimes watch the Big Bang Theory after the mission!" exclaimed Tony. Xavier just looked at him, calm blue eyes into the brown ones. After few seconds, Tony looked away. It was like X-Ray, that look. _Well, he's a telepath, isn't he?_ He thought. _Nice from you to discover it, Anthony, _came back an answer. „It's rude to go read the minds of the others without their permission, did you know that?" „You were projecting, Tony. Try to cover your thoughts better next time, hmm?" smiled the older man and wheeled to the door. Tony stood up, feeling unpleasant as always when he saw the wheelchair. With nowadays technology, they could make Xavier walk again, but he never asked for it.

„Will you wait here until their arrival, Tony?" Asked Xavier as they walked - in Xavier's case wheeled - in the hallway. Tony shrugged: „Dunno. Pietro went to Wanda when me and Cap drove away, and if he couldn't get any anwers from her, no one can. Steve is busying himself and you distracted the press, so I don't have to shoot off reporters who would want to be too cozy with us. So I suppose that I will, if you don't mind." For the first time of Tony's arrival, Xavier laughed. „Of course I don't mind. I could even take this opportunity and let you check the Danger Room. What do you think?" Tony saluted: „Plumber Stark to your services, sir! Show me your Danger Toilet!"

**oOoOo**

_About a hour later_

Tony put his suit jacket on and exited the control room of the Danger Room. Xavier just sent him a mental message that the Blackbird will arrive soon. As he headed to the hangar, he tried to prepare some kind of speech. He wasn't sure how the things were between T'Challa and Ororo, but he supposed that not much good. When he approached the hangar doors and still didn't know how to say it, he gave up and just adjusted his clothes.

He stepped into the hangar and waited. After a while, the ceiling began to open and from the sky the jet slowly flew down. When it landed and the engines were shut down, the ramp dropped down. Firstly, a man with a red visor, accompanied by red-haired woman with green eyes, stepped down. When the man saw Tony, he smiled and said: „Tony! Good to see you again!" Tony shook hands with him and greeted them both: „Jean, Scott. Good to see you too." Meantime, a creature with blue fur approached them and Tony exclaimed: „Hank! Buddy! I didn't know that you are still here!" He suddenly wished that he had some other, unimportant reason to be here. What if...

His thoughts were interrupted by a laughter from the ramp. „...and then he said: That's odd, nothing like this happened when I tried it!" said a tall, muscled man with chops and extraordinaly pointed hair. He laughed together with a blue-skinned man, who was unknown to Tony, and a woman with white hair, mocha colored skin and a piercing blue eyes.

They all spotted the group around the billionaire and walked towards them. Tony smiled: „Logan, you still don't want to shave, I see. Nice to see you, Ororo. And you are?" he said to the blue-skinned man. „I'm Kurt Wagner, but in the München circus I was known as-" Logan sighed „Not this again..." „-Incredible Nightcrawler," ended the man hastily and grinned. „Anthony Stark, billionaire, playboy and Iron Man," said Tony and shook hands with him. Ororo took off her gloves and asked: „What brings you here? Another elevators offer?" Tony scratched his chin: „Actually, I would like to speak with you. If I can, of course." Ororo frowned: „Why? Did something happen?" Tony sighed: „Yes, but I would like to speak with you in privacy." Logan, arms folded on chest, growled: „Whatever you wanna tell her, you can tell us as well." Ororo nodded. Tony ruffled his hair and tried for the last time: „Ororo, at least sit down, okay?" Clearly confused, she sat on a bench at the wall and looked at him, eyebrows lifted. „Well, you do remember T'Challa, I'm sure," started Tony. Ororo's face darkened: „Of course I remember him. What does he want? Another opportunity or what?" she said in hard voice. Tony shook his head. „No, nothing like that. He-" he took a deep breath and sent a silent pray to any god who was listening „-is...dead."

Silence.

„W-What?" whispered Ororo, clearly shocked. Tony repeated it: „He is dead. I'm sorry. Truly." She looked on the ground, no sign of emotions on her face. Tony secretly admired her for her unbelievable self-control. Even Natasha couldn't hide her thougts like that. Ororo looked on Tony and asked: „How?" That was the part Tony feared. „Murder. But it looks like he started it." She slowly nodded: „He always had a temper. But...do you know who did it?" „We're not sure," said Tony, „but we are working on it." He wasn't sure what to think, what to do. It all seemed so ..unrealistic. Ororo was looking normal, just a little sad, maybe. The others, on the other hand, were a big scale of emotions. Logan had satisfaction written in his face, altough he tried to hide it. Scott and Jean looked thunderstruck. Hank looked on the ground, a thoughtful look on his face, and Kurt was clearly confused. Tony would guess that he didn't know who T'Challa was.

With a sound of cape ruffling against the wall, Ororo stood up. „Thank you for telling me, Tony. I really appreciate it." With that, she walked to the door and disappeared in the hallway. With a sigh, Logan stretched his arms and walked out too, after nodding on Tony: „See ya, bub." Then he was gone.

Scott broke the awkward silence which followed: „Do you want to stay for a drink, Tony?" „No, thanks. I drive and I need to go," shook Tony his head. He took a few steps to the door, hesitated and turned to Jean: „Will she be all right?" Jean shrugged: „Honestly, I don't know. She never talked much about her past with T'Challa. And even if it really hit her, I think that she'll keep her emotions on a short leash. As usually." _Logan will help her if she'll need it, trust me. You did well, you don't have to feel bad for telling it, _she added in his head. Tony nodded and cleared his throat: „Well, it was good to see you, even for a short moment. I hope that I'll return soon, with better news. Good-bye, honeys," he waved and walked to the door. Why on Earth did he feel so strange?

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**If you liked this chapter, review.**

**If you didn't like this chapter, review too.**

**Pleease, it takes only a minute of your time, and it's sooo good feeling to read reviews... *makes puppy eyes***

**Here, have some X-cookies Magneto baked yesterday... (X) (X) (X)**

**Oh, and I'll maybe (just maybe!) change the category to X-Men/Avengers crossover, because there will be a lot of mutants. A lot of them xD**

**-hervissa**


	6. Things Solved In The Kitchen

**Hello, guys! I'm terrible, terrible sorry that I didn't update sooner...but I had my reasons:**

**1) I didn't get a single review on the last chapter...so I had no big motivation to write faster.  
2) Christmas and New Year was busy this year and I didn't have much time to write.  
3) I had a huuuge writer's block, which was very hard to break. So I wrote other stories, hoping that my brain will think something out :)**

**Anyway, the fifth chapter is here! Yay! :D**

**So pleeease, read, REVIEW and enjoy! Thx! ^_^**

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**Things Solved In The Kitchen**

Tony stepped out of the door and looked on the sky. When he arrived, it was bright and without a single cloud, but now it was grey and a few raindrops fell onto the ground. He shot a stare to the biggest window of the mansion, next to a balcone, where he knew was Ororo's room. Again, he thought if he shouldn't have do something else than just saying „I'm sorry." He was never much good at comforting.

With a sigh, he sat into the car and drove away, through the gate of the mansion.

And the rain continued to fall.

**oOoOo**

The sky was bright again when Tony parked in the garage. He adjusted his clothes, a thing he get used to do whenever he had an interview of some kind. As the elevator lifted him to the main floor, he wondered what happened while he was out. Did Pietro find something out? Did it all blow up? Did Steve cause an explosion (okay, that was highly unprobable, but anything can happen while the owner of the house is away, right?)?

„Goddammit, Wanda! Why the hell don't you wanna tell me?" heard Tony Steve's loud voice. He immediately walked into the kitchen, just in time to saw Pietro jabbing his finger into Steve's chest and hissing angrily: „You will _not_ talk with her like that! Who do you think you are, the main boss?" „Hey, everyone knows that I'm the boss here," tried Tony to defuse the tension. „What's going on here, by the way?" he asked. „Rogers here was acting quite...innapropriate when he tried to get all the secrets of universe from my sister," said Pietro, still in angry voice. „I just wanted to know what happened this night with T'Challa. I'm not stupid, Tony," replied Steve, too, angrily. Tony sighed and ruffled his hair. „Okay. Firstly, everyone calm down. Now, would you please tell us the story, Wanda?" he turned to the woman who was quiet all the time. She just shook her head: „You are intelligent enough to deduce what happened, both of you. I-" she closed her mouth before something could slip out. „So tell us, Wanda! What will that do to you?" exclaimed Steve. Wanda took a deep breath and turned to Tony: „If you want to hear it, I'll tell you. But no to him." Tony asked, confused: „Why not? He's an Avenger, like us. I trust him!" „I do not," replied Wanda. Tony sighed. „He has a right to know, Wanda." Pietro snorted: „With his temper, he will kill us all after the first sentence." Tony and Wanda glared at him. He shrugged: „What? You know that it's true!" Steve slammed his fist on the table. „I'm one of the leaders of the Avengers, for God's sake! If there really _is_ something going on, I need to know that." „I said that I will not tell you," replied Wanda calmly, but coldly.

„I'll stay here, and you will tell it to both of us! What's the point of this nonsense?" asked Steve and stepped closer to her. In a blink of eye, Pietro stood between Wanda and Steve with murder in his eyes. „Touch her and you are _dead_, Rogers," he said quietly.

Tony just stared. These three were his fellow Avengers, his teammates, people he trusted, his friends. And yet they were acting like dogs fighting over a bone. „Okay, tell it just to me, then," Tony said, „don't worry, Steve-" he said, turning to the Captain, but Steve stood up and walked out, slamming the door behind him before Tony could say anything.

Tony sat on a chair and motioned the Maximoffs to do the same. „Well, Wanda? Am I trustable enough to be told the mysterious story of previous night?" he asked. A small smile danced across her lips. „Yes, you are. You are playboy, soul of every party and selfish bastard, but I trust you." Tony nodded and reached to the fridge for a bottle of Coca-Cola. Pietro lifted an eyebrow and asked: „No alcohol? Stark, you amaze me!" Tony shrugged, sipped from the bottle and said: „Okay, Wanda, go on with the story everyone wants to know."

And Wanda talked. It wasn't like with Pietro, who understood even her unspoken words, but Tony get it. At the end, he sat with his mouth open and brain working. „And he did all that things...even as an Avenger?" he asked incredulously. Wanda nodded. „Yes, he did. It was normal for him to do so, why should he give it up, when it worked? The people lived in fear, so he could control them, giving them false hopes-" she stopped when she saw Tony's expression. „Are you sure you aren't doing something like that too?" he asked, half-joking. She shrugged: „Sorry. Father's genes. I think like that." She smiled apologetically. Tony stood up, took a bottle of whisky from one cabinet and took a big gulp. Pietro suddenly asked: „Did you ever kill someone, Tony? Not like when you ran away in Afghanistan, not like when you are in the field, you destroy a bunker and it kills some bad guys, but like when you walk to someone, point a gun on his head and push the trigger. Did you?" Tony just shook his head. „Well, I did. I can´t tell you how it really feels when you decide to end somebody's life, you wouldn't understand it, but I do. Thanks to that, I better understand Wanda's reasons. I'll stand by her whatever you'll decide to do. Got it?" Tony lifted an eyebrow. „Of course I got it, I'm a genius, you know!" Wanda leaned forward in her seat and in more serious tone asked: „So? What are you going to do?"

Tony rubbed his forehead and sighed. After a while, he said: „I think that I...get why did you do it, Wanda. The problem is, the laws are laws. And you are a mutant, so something like self-defense wouldn't work. Xavier pushed you off the radar of the police for now, but sooner or later someone will come to ask questions. I suppose that best solution for you would be to hide for some time. Meanwhile, I will do the best I can with the lawyers and all. What do you think?"

Pietro stood up and began pacing the kitchen, the urge to run clearly visible in his tensed body. Wanda walked to him and put her hand on his shoulder. „Genosha has quite nice weather in this time of year, Pietro," she said quietly. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. „Genosha? Do you mean the mutant island?" asked curiously Tony. Before Wanda could say anything, Pietro barked with laughter. „Oh yeah, the mutant paradise, with kind king and absolutely no troubles," he spat. Wanda rolled her eyes. Tony frowned: „How it comes that Pietro has a problem with Genosha? You_ are _a mutant, no?" he asked, looking on the younger man. „I don't have a problem with _Genosha_, but with my _precious_ father," hissed Pietro. Wanda sighed and tightened her grip on his shoulder. „It doesn't matter now. Family problems aren't Avengers problems. The important thing is that I can go there, okay?" Pietro slowly nodded. Tony made a mental note that he should look on the Maximoff family later. Apparently there wasn't everything as all right as it looked like.

„Wanda, you should go pack, so you can leave as soon as possible," said Tony, „and you should go find Steve and apologize," he added, turning to Pietro. „Why? He acted like five years old who wants a bonbon!" exclaimed Pietro. „And you are going to be just as him?" asked Tony. Living with Pepper taught him a few tricks about getting people where he wanted to have them. This was one of them. „Me? Like him?" snorted Pietro. Tony shrugged and innocently continued: „Well, I'm sure that he wouldn't apologize too. It would fit the acting like five years old." Pietro opened his mouth to say something, but Wanda interrupted him. „Oh my God, just go to him and say 'I'm sorry for yelling at you', that's all. Even if you don't mean it."

Pietro growled, but walked out of the kitchen, almost slammed the door behind him just like Steve did, but stopped himself before he actually did it.

Wanda rolled her eyes and brushed her hair with her fingers. „So...I will go and pack, okay?" she said to Tony. The billionaire just nodded and took another gulp from the bottle. When Wanda stood with her hand on the doorknob, she hesitated and turned to the man once again. „Tony? Thanks," she said with a smile.

And then she walked out, closing the door quietly behind her.

Tony stared out of the window, about the murder. _Even with Wanda away, there will still be troubles,_ he thought. _And I will be the one to solve them,_ he added bitterly in his mind.

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**Love? Hate? Constructive critism? Go ahead, people, write the review! :)**

**~hervissa :)**


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